Draft rigging



March 26, 1940. w. J. METZGR DRAFT RIGGING' Filed April 17, 1937 Sheets-Sheet -l March 26, 1940.

DRAFT RIGG-ING `Filed April 17, 1937 @sheets-sheet4 2 l INVENToR Wzl/am J. Mager Patented Manac, 1940 UNITED gSTATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to draft rigging for railway cars. `In the usual connection between the c coupler shank and yoke no provision is made for reducing the clearances between these parts y so as toeliminateree` slack.` During operation of a train this slack is frequently taken up suddenly, resulting in severe jerks or bufng blo-ws being imparted to the car structure with `conse-.- quent damage to the car and lading, and discomfort to passengers when used in such service.

The present trend is toward reduction or elimination of free slack between the couplers and in other parts of the draft rigging whereby such pulling out or running in of theslack is avoided. 15,A v My invention pertains more particularly to novel means for eliminating the slack in theconnection between the coupler shankand yoke.

One of the features of my invention relates to a yoke having an integral front wall joiningthe arms thereof and means between the wall and" the butt of the couplerl capable of being positioned toll up substantially all of the space between the buffing surface on the coupler buttand said wall.` i

My invention is also particularly adaptedfor use with swivel butt couplers,` arranged to pivot with respect to the car in a horizontal plane or in both vertical and horizontal planes, and oneV of itsobjects is the provision, for use with such a swivel butt coupler, of means for substantially eliminating the slackbetween the coupler shank and yoke connection in such a manner as not to interfere with the free swiveling action of the coupler. Other objects and advantages of my invention will be understood `from the following detail description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: i c

Figure lis a View partly in plan and partly in horizontal section ci` my improved coupler shank and yoke applied to a car.

Figure 2 is a viewpartly in elevation` and partly in vertical section of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is an isometric View of the buing 4,5Y block. l

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. y

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 2; and

Figure 6 is a partial view similar to Fig. 2, showing the use of a shim.

In the drawings. the center sills Ill of the car have secured thereto cheek'plates I I forming the draft gear pocket `and stop lugs. A yoke I2 is 55 positioned between the sills and has upper and lower arms I3 and I4 respectively, joined at their rear end b-y a wall I5 substantially in line with the rear stop lugs I5. Near the mid point of the yoke and substantially inline with the front 60 stop lugs Il is a vertical wall I8 joining the top `which also passes` through ycoupler shank.

and `bottom arms of the yoke.` Followers I9, Ill` `are positioned adjacent walls I5 and I8 and a draft gear (not shown but illustrated by dotdash lines) is placed betweenthe followers. Forwardly of wall I8 is another vertical wall 20 joining the yoke arms.` The walls I8 and v2|) are' joined by a vertical :rib 2l which also'vextends between arms I3 and i4 of theyoke. `ilddtional ribs, such as horizontal ribs 22vand diagonal ribs' 23, may be` provided for strength. In `front `of wall Zis av pocket 24 receiving the rear end of coupler shank 25. This Docket `has horizontal walls 2E and 2l which are continuations of walls I3 and i4, respectively,` and vertical walls 28. Walls 28` are` formed. near theirl forward ends with key slots 23 receiving horizontal key 3U, key slot 36 in the The coupler shankf25 has a swivel butt 3| joined therewith in the usual manner b-yvertical pins 35 for swiveling in a horizontal plane. Be tween key 33 and the rear wall of key slot 3l`is` positioned a swivel block 31 for maintaininga surface bearing between the shank and key in draft regardless of therelative angled position of these members. It will be observedin Figs. 2 and 6 that clearance is provided between key 30 and the upper and lowerwalls of key slot 36 in the coupler shank topermit vertical angling of the coupler. by pins 38 whichpass through openings in the key and yoke. curved vertically and cooperates with a similarly curved surface 33cm a block 34 to permit swivel-` ing in a vertical plane. Bufng block 34, positioned between butt piece 3l and wall 20 Aof the The key 30 may be held in position The rear surface 32 of butt3l is yoke, is formed separate from the yokeand may I bejoined therewith by suitable securing means, such asbolts 4E) and nuts 4l. The block s recessed, as at 42, so that the heads of the bolts will not interfere with the swiveling action between the butt piece and block.

It is common knewledge that rough castings cannot be made to such close tolerances as would assure a t such that when the coupler shank and yoke are assembled, the swivel butt piece and buing block 34 would be of the exact length to fill the space in pocket 24 between the shank andrwall 23. By making block 34 separate from the yoke, the curved surface 33 may be readily and accurately finished to fit the cooperatingsurface 32 of the swivel butt piece. Moreover, if the block is too thick, it may be ground ormachined to a size that will just fit into the-space between wall 20 and butt piece 3l. It is also possible that the distance between surface 32 and wall 2li is too great, or block 34 too small to obtain a lit that will eliminate slack between the coupler shank and yoke. In these instances, a shim or shims 5| (Fig. 6) of the -v may be subjected to torsional strains.

required thickness to take up the slack can be inserted between the rear surface of block 34 and Wall 20. Furthermore, as wear takes place between contacting surfaces on the yoke, key, coupler, butt piece and bufng block, or any of them, the slack thus created can be substantially eliminated by placing shims of the necessary thickness between the bung block and wall 20. It will, of course, be understood that bufflng blows applied to the coupler will be transmitted from the butt piece on the shank through block '34, and through the shim when used, directly to the yoke.

It will be observed that in the coupler shank and yoke connection herein shown and described there will be very little, if any, relative twisting movement between the shank and yoke about the longitudinal axis thereof. Therefore, unless means is provided to prevent it, these members I prefer, however, tc provide for rotary movement of both the shank and yoke byrounding off ribs 43 on the yoke, as at 44, where rthey res-t upon the supporting plate 45, the upper surface llt of which is of the same curvature. In like manner, ribs il at the forward end of the yoke may be rounded off where they contact the front support i8. Furthermore, to obtain this rotary movement some clearance is required, as shown at l) (Fig. 5), between the ysides ofthe yoke and the adjacent surfaces of the draft lugs.

It` is thus apparent that I have provided means for properly fitting the connection between the coupler shank and yoke so as to eliminate any slack therebetween when the parts are originally fitted or such slack as is caused by wear in service. Furthermore, my invention accomplishes this result without in any way interfering with the free swiveling movement of the coupler shank relative to the yoke, as would be caused if the draft gear were permitted to bear directly on the butt piece.

The terms and expressions which Ihave employed are used as terms of description and not 4of limitation, and I have no intention, in the l use of `suoli terms and expressions, of excluding between` said element and said wall adapted to` maintain said element in predetermined spaced relation to said wall, said member being constructed and arranged to provide substantially full bearing contact between said member and said element and between said member and yoke for transmitting buffmg blows from said shank to said yoke.

2. In a. rauway draft rigging, draft lugs, a.

yoke comprising upper and lower arms spaced inwardly from said lugs, a coupler having a shank pivotally seciued to said yoke for relative swinging movement in horizontal and vertical planes and held against relative movement about the longitudinal axis of said yoke and means comprising curved surfaces on one of said arms permitting movement of said coupler and yoke about the longitudinal axis thereof.

3. In a railway draft rigging, draft lugs, a yoke comprising upper and lower arms spaced inwardly from said lugs, a coupler having a shank pivotally secured to said yoke for swinging movement relative thereto in horizontal and vertical planes, said pivotal connection substantially preventing relative twisting movement between said shank and yoke about the longitudinal axis thereof, a member for supporting said yoke, and

means comprising surfaces on said yoke andr member providing limited twisting movement of said shank and yoke about their longitudinal axes.

4. In a railway draft rigging, a yoke comprising upper and lower arms and a vertical wall joining said arms, a slotted pocket extending forwardly of said wall, a coupler shank in said pocket having a horizontal slot therethrough, a key passing through said shank slot and into said slots in said pocket for transmitting draft stresses from said coupler shank to said yoke, said key slot in said shank being substantially greater vertically than said key to provide for vertical angling of said shank relative to said yoke, a member pivotally mounted on the end of said shank and having a surface on the rear end thereof curved vertically to permit said vertical angling, and a block between said member and wall having a rear surface engaging said wall and a forward surface curved correspondingly to and engaging said curved surface on said member for transmitting buiiing blows from said shank to said yoke.

5. In a railway draft rigging, a yoke comprising upper and lower arms and a vertical wall joining said arms, a pocketextending forwardly of said wall, a coupler shankin said pocket,H means securing said shank in said pocket for transmission of draft forces to said yoke,l said means being constructed and arranged to enable vertical angling of said shank relative to said yoke, a member pivotally mounted on the end ci said shank and having a vertically curved surface on the rear end thereof, and a filler block between said member and wall having substantially full bearing contact both with said wall and member for transmitting buiiing blows from said shank to said yoke, said block being constructed and arranged to enable said vertical angling between said shank and yoke.

6. In a railway draft rigging, a yoke having a draft gear receiving portion and a coupler receiving portion, a transversely extending integral wall between such portions,a coupler, means for connecting said coupler in said coupler receiving portionfor angular movement in a vertical piane, a member pivotally secured to the rear end of said coupler, the rear end of said member having a vertically curved surface spaced forwardly of said wall, the space between said surface and said wall being adapted to receive means of varying longitudinal dimensions to eliminate slack between said member and said wall, said surface and last named means being constructed and arranged to enable said angular movement when said slack is eliminated.

yWILLIAM J. METZGER. 

